


Birthday Blues

by heckinamanda



Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: M/M, and a boy that I love!!, it's babey time!!, this fic is full of supportive best friends!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-11-07 08:24:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17957054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heckinamanda/pseuds/heckinamanda
Summary: The Good Hair Crew and Jonah plan a birthday party for TJ. Unfortunately, that is not an occasion TJ celebrates.





	Birthday Blues

**Author's Note:**

  * For [you_get_to_exhale_now_cyrus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/you_get_to_exhale_now_cyrus/gifts).



> TWO FICS TWO DAYS BABEY
> 
> okay more importantly: this fic is a birthday gift!! for the lovely theo!! she's @you-get-to-exhale-now-cyrus on tumblr so please go follow her!! anyways theo, you're such an incredibly kind and smart and talented individual and I'm so lucky to know you even in the slightest. you were the first person to make me feel like I wasn't on the outskirts of the fandom, and I'll always be grateful for that. <3
> 
> (also this is a prompt for tyrus bingo because I need to knock that card out aksbfjn)

“Put your—Jonah put the cookies back—put your presents in the same spot,” Cyrus directed. Everything had to be _perfect._

Buffy rolled her eyes. “Got it.”

“What did you get him anyway?” Andi adjusted the banner hanging across the staircase.

“New hoodie,” Buffy gestured to a wrapped box sitting on a nearby table. “I’m not one for the mushy stuff, so I figured a hoodie with a basketball on it would suffice.”

“Wow, you’ve got me all choked up,” Andi deadpanned. “I got him a box of craft supplies so he stops stealing mine.”

“Doesn’t that benefit you more than him?” Jonah leaned against the stairs.

“Of course not. I threw in some of his favorite from Andi Shack anyway,” she continued adjusting the banner. “What did _you_ get him, King of Gifting?”

They were all amused by her joke. Everyone knew about his history with expressing feelings via presents. “Well, I saw this sculpture that really reminded me of him and I’m positive that he’s going to like it.”

“Knowing TJ, he’ll put it somewhere in his room even if he hates it,” Cyrus said, adjusting Andi’s adjustments to the banner.

“But he won’t,” Jonah said with a bite of his cookie.

“Jonah,” Cyrus scolded him. “Leave the cookies alone.”

“I got hungry!”

Cyrus rolled his eyes at his defenses before stepping back from the banner that read _Happy Birthday TJ!_

He grinned at the massive letters. “Perfect.”

His friends stood beside him, taking it all in.

“You’re so lovesick it disgusts me,” Buffy cut into their silent moment.

“I am not,” he said.

“Right,” Andi elbowed his side. “Tell us again what your present is?”

“God,” Buffy groaned. “The definition of lovesick.”

“Come on,” he walked away from them. “It’s not that obvious.”

The other three laughed with each other.

“Dude,” Jonah said.

“It’s really amazing,” Andi said genuinely. “But really, you have to know how obvious that is.”

He crossed his arms. “Okay, yeah, it is, but that doesn’t mean it’s obvious for _him_.”

“When does he get here anyway?” Jonah asked. “I wanna see him open it.”

“Soon,” Andi said. “He told me he was on his way a while ago.”

Buffy shook her head. “He really bought your line about needing help?”

“Yep,” she said. “It’s apparently very believable that I can’t reach the paint in my old closet.”

Cyrus was buzzing with excitement at the thought of TJ’s arrival. He couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when he walks in.

The four waited in front of the staircase for him—he spiritually thanked Cece for letting them use this space for a birthday celebration. After a short while of waiting, they heard a knock on the door.

Andi shushed the group. “Come in!”

TJ opened the door, greeted by a loud, “ _Surprise_!”

He stopped dead in his tracks, eyeing the scene. Cyrus wondered if he was taking everything in. The table with a variety of treats and presents, the balloons littering the floor, the streamers lining the staircase, and the banner in front of said staircase.

He seemed… Bewildered by it all. “I’m—what is all this?”

“Your birthday party!” Cyrus held out his arms and preformed jazz hands.

“Oh,” he nodded. “I’ve gotta—I’m—should— _bathroom_.”

He followed that with a quick exit. The Good Hair Crew and Jonah exchanged looks with each other.

“The bathroom… Outside?” Buffy questioned.

“Something must be wrong,” Cyrus said. “I’m gonna go make sure he’s okay.”

* * *

TJ found himself sat on a wooden chair outside of Andi Shack. He knew that fleeing to right outside of the place you were running from was ridiculous, but he knew one of them would follow no matter where he went.

Almost like magic, Cyrus appeared as he thought that. He was walking towards him with a book tucked neatly under his arm and his therapist-friend smile gently gracing his face.

He sat down on the railing. “Hey.”

“Hey,” he echoed quietly, not looking directly at him.

“Funny how we invited you over for a party, yet you’re out here while all of the streamers are in there,” Cyrus pointed finger guns back at the house. “Why is that?”

His shoulders tensed up. “I just—I don’t celebrate my birthday. I don’t even know how you guys found out when it was.”

“Oh…” Cyrus winced. “That was my bad. I saw it marked on the calendar at your house.”

“So this was your idea?” He wasn’t angry or upset, just curious.

“No, the whole party was Andi’s. You know how extravagant she gets,” Cyrus laughed awkwardly. “She didn’t know… And neither did I.”

TJ sighed. “I know, and I’m sorry. I should’ve told you.”

“It’s okay,” Cyrus said. “It’s not really my business anyway.”

“But you know me,” he looked at him. “I can tell you anything, I could’ve mentioned this.”

“No, I shouldn’t have told anyone about it behind your back in the first place. I didn’t even think that it might not be a big deal for you.”

“It _is_ a big deal,” he said. “But in a different way.”

“What do you mean?”

TJ looked away from Cyrus again, scanning the small porch. He really can tell him anything. “My parents were never really… Around for my birthday. Mom died when I was little so Dad had to work alone to support us.”

“TJ…” Cyrus gently placed his hand on his shoulder.

“I almost always spent it alone or with a babysitter that didn’t care,” he continued. “Dad tried so hard to make them special anyway but to a kid that just… Never works out.”

“What about now?” Cyrus asked.

“Now it doesn’t really matter to me, and he knows that. We just skip over the day,” he shrugged. “It just reminds me of times when I was lonely. So when I walked in and saw all of the decorations, I just…”

Cyrus nodded. “I understand. And they will too.”

“Yeah,” he said quietly. “I know.”

“I’m not so sure that you do,” Cyrus moved his hand to rest on his forearm. “None of us are going to make you have some party for a day that you don’t want to be apart of, but you should know you’re not alone anymore. There’s a whole family inside that house that loves you.”

TJ was silent. He didn’t have a chance to contemplate the words said before Cyrus got up and handed him the book from under his arm.

“What’s this?” He took it.

“Your birthday gift from me. It’s a scrapbook of sorts,” Cyrus said. “Sorry, I didn’t get the chance to wrap it.”

“That’s okay, I obviously wasn’t expecting anything,” he looked down at it and rubbed his thumb across the faux leather. “Thank you. Seriously.”

“No problem. If you’re confused about some of the writing, they’re my old journal pages,” Cyrus told him, wearing a smile that he couldn’t quite read. “I’m gonna head back in and tell everyone to pack up.”

TJ watched him walk to the door, stopping to look back and give a slight nod that said _I got your back._ After he entered the house, TJ looked back down at the book in his hands. Hesitant, he opened it.

The first page revealed a piece of paper taped down with polka-dot washi tape—presumably a journal entry. Next to it was a recipe for chocolate chocolate chip muffins, taped down the same. He thumbed the recipe while reading what the page said.

_So, today was weird. The scary basketball guy that’s been torturing Buffy came up to us in the lunch line. She told him to get me a muffin in exchange for tutoring or something (I was too intimidated to listen entirely but I’m sure it was interesting) and he actually did it! He even taught me how to get the muffin myself and helped me when a line of hungry classmates protested!_

TJ smiled. That memory felt so foreign to him now. He had no idea how important Cyrus would be to him or what person he’d become just from being around him.

He flipped the page to find another journal entry and several different pictures of TJ and Cyrus on the swings— _their_ swings.

_The scary basketball ball guy (TJ from here on out) willingly talked to me! Buffy told me she was tutoring him today but I guess he bailed and somehow ended up at the swings like me. It seemed like he needed someone to talk to much like I did, so BAM we cheered each other up!  
I think we really had a deep moment, so I want to ask my parents if I can squeeze one more guest into my bar mitzvah._

He looked closely at the pictures next to the entry. They were different selfies printed out and stuck under blue washi tape, all dated. His personal favorite was the one from a few months ago that Cyrus managed to get of TJ falling out of the swing. But that’s not why it’s his favorite. It’s also a candid shot of Cyrus laughing, which is the greatest sight in the world to him.

He continued flipping through the scrapbook, seeing photos of the pair from a long time ago to just a few weeks back. He enjoyed seeing it progress from being the two of them to being the whole group doing things together.

There were photos of him and Jonah messing with each other, Buffy playing one-on-one with him, Andi and Cyrus asleep on his shoulders, all of them hanging out together as they struck weird poses. All of these alongside memorabilia like crumpled notes, movie tickets, Monopoly money, and those journal entries that kept catching his eye.

_I think TJ and I are really becoming friends._

_He always helps me._

_I think he needs someone as much as I do._

_He’s incredible._

_I love being around him._

_He’s introducing me to his friends and I’m so nervous._

_I miss him._

_I should’ve just called him back from the start._

_I’m so proud of him._

_He surprisingly hit it off with my family._

_I think he’s one of the most important people I’ve ever met._

TJ held onto the pages gently, flipping to very last. There were four photos surrounded by a multitude of the tape printed with cat heads, lemons, cacti, rainbows, you name it. Said photos were of him and each of his friends with small notes attached.

_Happy birthday dude! Thanks for playing video games with me at 3am, especially after the rough days,_ was written next to a photo of him and Jonah with matching kazoos in their mouths.

_I’m glad I have someone to talk about basketball with while confusing Cyrus—I’m even more glad that it’s you. I still hate you though,_ was written next to a photo of Buffy throwing a water bottle at him.

_Happy birthday!! I appreciate our bracelet-making-vent-sessions and hope we have many more to come. :) PS I’ll get you to wear pins on your jackets one day, mark my words,_ was written next to a photo of him and Andi back to back, striking Charlie’s Angels poses. He rolled his eyes at the addition, but continued to the last photo.

He was leaning on Cyrus at The Spoon, beyond asleep. He remembered that day; he was so tired after practice that he just flopped into the booth and shut his eyes. He woke up a little embarrassed considering that was the first time that had ever happened between them, but Cyrus didn’t seem to mind, even when Buffy cooed over the photo she took of them.

_You’re irreplaceable,_ was all the note said.

TJ slowly shut the scrapbook, everything it held sinking in. He got up from the chair and jogged towards the door of Andi’s old house.

When he opened it, he saw Buffy and Jonah picking up balloons, deflating them towards each other in friendly battle, as well as Andi sadly pulling streamers down. Cyrus was the first to see him as he stepped through the door.

“I thought you’d be heading home,” he said, tray full of muffins in his hands.

“Me too,” TJ shoved his hands into his pockets. “But… I wouldn’t want the party to go to waste.”

“ _Your_ party,” Andi said. She couldn’t contain her excitement as she ruffled the pile of streamers. “I gotta put these back up!”

“Are you kidding me?” Jonah groaned. “We just deflated like, fifteen of these balloons.”

Buffy deflated the sixteenth. “Thanks, TJ.”

TJ rolled his eyes at her sarcasm.

“What made you change your mind?” Cyrus asked in a low voice meant for just the two of them.

He grabbed a muffin from the tray and gestured to everyone with it. “You guys. All of this.”

Cyrus put the tray down and wrapped his arms around TJ’s waist. “I’m glad.”

“Me too.” He was careful not to squish the muffin as he reciprocated the hug, and twice as careful when their other three friends joined in.

“Happy birthday, TJ,” Andi said, tightening her grip around him.

_Yeah_ , he thought as he stood surrounded by his best friends, _it is._


End file.
